


Dreams

by Winner_of_the_disability_bingo



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Literal Sleeping Together, Nightmares, Sleepy Cuddles, which is a given when it comes to zuko
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:34:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28309800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winner_of_the_disability_bingo/pseuds/Winner_of_the_disability_bingo
Summary: Five times the Gaang help Zuko while he's sleeping and one time they help him while he's (almost) awake.
Relationships: Aang & Zuko (Avatar), Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), Suki & Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar), Toph Beifong & Zuko
Comments: 14
Kudos: 258





	Dreams

**1**

Toph woke up to the sound of someone shifting around. After a few seconds, she recognised the movement as belonging to Zuko. That wasn’t too uncommon, since he almost always got up the earliest, but Toph could tell the sun was still several hours away from rising, the ground was too cold, and the wind wasn’t blowing any warmth from the east. Zuko _never_ woke up before sunrise, which was probably a Fire-Bender thing. Like how Katara always preferred night to day.

She rolled onto her stomach and put a hand to the ground, feeling for what he was doing. She was still too tired to see her normal way, and everything was slightly fuzzy. She felt him curled up and clutching at the dirt with one hand. His other hand was held close to his body. She thought it might be holding his face, but his position and her tiredness meant she couldn’t really tell.

He twitched every few seconds and mumbled something she couldn’t quite hear. Occasionally, he let out a soft whimper. His voice was pained, and his heart rate was even more erratic than normal, which was saying something. It also should have been the first thing she noticed. It was hammering against the earth so strongly Toph was almost worried it would give out. Based on his movement and the sluggishness of his mumbling, he was asleep. He was probably having a nightmare, and a bad one.

She crawled closer, careful not to wake the others. Aang stirred and she stopped, but his heart and breathing told her he was still asleep. Momo chittered once then fell silent. She continued crawling and knelt just behind Zuko. She reached out to him when his mumbled words finally registered.

“Father… please forgive me… I won’t… disrespect you again.” He mumbled something about honour and disrespect, and then went back to quiet whimpering. Toph couldn’t understand all of it, but she understood enough to tell he was dreaming about the Fire-Lord. Having a nightmare about his dad.

She moved her sleeping bag close to his back, but out of reach, and carefully softened the rock below him. She knew how much all the others hated sleeping on the ground. He relaxed slightly into the now-soft rock. He kept clutching at the dirt, but, after moving a bit closer, her presence at his back seemed to calm him down enough for the whimpering to stop and the mumbling to turn into something about ‘Uncle’ and tea.

Toph woke up again just before sunrise, curled into Zuko’s back. He was comfortably warm and she almost didn’t want to get up. The change in his heartbeat meant he would wake up soon, so she would need to move unless she wanted a repeat of what happened several days ago, before they welcomed Zuko into the group. Carefully, she moved her blankets back to where they were when the night began. Zuko shifted, but didn’t wake.

Less than an hour later, Toph pretended to sleep while Zuko kicked Aang awake. Aang laughed softly and Zuko chuckled lightly as they went outside to meditate. Zuko’s heartbeat was calm, and Toph was glad.

**2**

Aang woke up to someone mumbling something. A second later, he recognised the rasping voice. He listened for a minute longer, trying to figure out what Zuko was saying. It obviously wasn’t the usual grumbling that he did when he wanted Aang to get up and start training. Nor was it the talking-to-himself thing he did when he was trying to make a decision or preparing himself for something.

Eventually, Aang decided to use his Air-Bending to enhance his hearing. He changed the wind near Zuko to Aang’s direction, carrying the other boy’s voice over. He heard ‘father’ and ‘please don’t’ a few times before deciding that was enough.

He sat up and saw Zuko curled in the corner, his feet pointed at the group. Katara still wasn’t happy with him being so close, but agreed to let him at least sleep in the same room as the fire. Aang knew how unhealthy being in a room without a heat source was for Fire-Benders. Especially one as close to their element as Zuko was.

He crawled closer and quietly asked what was wrong. Zuko didn’t respond. He tried again, slightly louder. No response. He was obviously asleep. Having a nightmare, based on the twitching and occasional whimper breaking through the (increasingly distressing) mumbling.

That was bad. Fire-Benders often _couldn’t_ wake themselves up before sunrise without the help of an outside source. If he was having a nightmare, he needed to either be shaken awake, or Aang would have to let it run its course.

He knew how dangerous Zuko could be if woken up before sunrise, but he also didn’t want to leave the older (younger technically?) boy alone. Zuko didn’t deserve to suffer a nightmare (or memory, based on the mumbling but Aang didn’t want to think about that) with no one there to help him.

Movement to his left prompted him to look over. Toph had stood up and was moving her blankets closer to Zuko. Once she was situated against Zuko’s back, close enough to sense, but not close enough to touch, she turned to Aang and raised an eyebrow.

Aang flushed and gathered his sleeping bag. Toph didn’t take her eyes off him as he walked over and set the bag down on Zuko’s other side. It was kind of creepy, considering Toph couldn’t actually see him, and that was probably the intention. 

Once Aang made himself comfortable, the earth shifted suddenly and Zuko relaxed, the pain in his voice lessening. It took a moment for Aang to realise Toph had softened the rock under Zuko. He’d have to ask her to teach him how to do that.

Since Toph was doing something to help, Aang would too. He gently blew a warm breeze over the group. He wasn’t good enough at Fire-Bending yet to heat up the area, but he could at least make it slightly more comfortable for Zuko. Once the area around them was significantly warmer than the rest of the room, Zuko relaxed further and the mumbling stopped.

Just before the sunrise, Toph shook him awake. She ignored his grumbling and started gathering her things. Aang copied her and they moved their things back to where they had been before they woke up the first time. Aang understood. Zuko would probably be uncomfortable waking up next to people he didn’t know that well. Especially if Katara woke up while they were still in a group.

Less than an hour later, Aang rolled out of the way just in time to avoid Zuko’s legs. The Fire-Bender was wearing his usual scowl, but it was much softer than it had been the day before. Aang refused to tell him why he was smiling the entire lesson.

**3**

Sokka woke up to Zuko sniffling and groaning. He could tell it was Zuko because their resident Fire-Bender slash prince was the only one in the entire group (both back at the Western Temple and on the balloon) that didn’t snore. Sokka would have thought being an arrogant prince meant Zuko slept arrogantly too, but no; Zuko was completely silent unless he was dreaming. Even then, the mumbling and little movements were nearly silent.

He looked over to see Zuko curled up in the corner of the balloon. He twitched a couple of times, mumbling something Sokka couldn’t hear. He was facing Sokka (a change from the temple) and he looked upset. He must have been having a nightmare.

Everyone in the Gaang (name pending, Sokka was rather proud of it) had nightmares from time to time. Sokka had always helped out wherever he could. Aang liked being hugged. Katara liked having someone to either mother or yell at, depending on her mood. Toph liked just having someone there for her. He had never dealt with Zuko having a nightmare. He didn’t quite know what to do.

He looked around and saw that the others were asleep. Dad was leaning against the wall, clearly having fallen asleep while on watch. A blanket was carelessly thrown over his legs. Suki was lying next to Sokka, closer to the door. Chit Sang was nowhere to be seen. He was on engine duty that night. Sokka wasn’t completely sure the guy was trustworthy, but he had nowhere else to go and there were three of the strongest fighters in the world, as well as Sokka himself, on the ship ready to fight if he made one wrong move.

Zuko was shivering, which was unusual, since at some point, Zuko had learned to regulate his temperature. It had made him extra annoying at the North Pole. Normally, the height they were at would be fine for him, if a little uncomfortable. Sokka remembered Aang saying something about Fire-Benders being more affected by the cold, even the ones who could regulate their temperature. The cooler must have stressed him out (more than he already was, because Spirits, Toph was right about him being as anxious as a Jackalope).

Sokka didn’t know exactly what the cooler did, but he did know Fire-Benders viewed it as a form of torture, and Zuko was in there for _half a day_. It must have sucked for him. Especially after being beat around by the warden, who seemed to detest Zuko more than the average citizen hated their traitorous prince. Who knows what was going on in his body.

Sokka took his blanket off and crept to the other side of the room to gently lower it over Zuko’s shoulders and torso. The blanket was too thin to actually generate warmth, but it, along with the very, _very_ thin blanket Zuko already had, did lighten Zuko’s shivering. His heat regulation must have finally kicked in.

Sokka was close enough to hear Zuko’s mumbling clearly now. He was begging the Fire-Lord for something. Sokka didn’t know what that something was, and, frankly, he didn’t _want_ to know. He lay back down in his spot next to Suki and curled into her, taking the chance to also steal her blanket (which was much larger and warmer than his was). She grumbled, but went still when he wrapped an arm around her waist.

Sokka woke to Zuko shaking him, telling him they had arrived. His skin was as warm as it usually was, if slightly paler. Sokka watched him look between Sokka, sharing a blanket with Suki, and the two blankets in the corner. Zuko gave him a blank look and he raised an eyebrow in return.

**4**

Suki woke up to Zuko groaning. It wasn’t the usual, slightly irritated slightly fond, groaning he did when Aang was being difficult. Nor was it the grumbling that happened when Sokka started asking questions about the burnt, ripped up tapestries hanging from the walls, or a painting he found hidden away somewhere that he definitely had to actively go digging for. This groan was pained and distressed. It was far too similar to the groans that came from her neighbour cells after their occupant came back from a torture session. Something was wrong.

She rolled over to see Aang and Toph moving their blankets to sandwich him. Toph took his back. Aang took his front. Zuko relaxed a little, and Suki noticed the room had warmed slightly. She noticed something ruffling Zuko and Toph’s hair, and the warm breeze gently touching her skin a few seconds later, and smiled.

Suki waited for the kids to fall asleep and listened. She stood up when Zuko continued whimpering. Aang and Toph’s presences had obviously helped, a couple more in the cuddle pile wouldn’t hurt.

Toph opened an eye when Suki moved, more to let Suki know she was awake than for any other reason. Of course she knew Suki was awake. Suki stared at her until Toph snorted and curled into Zuko’s back, wrapping an arm around his waist. It barely reached over his hip, but Zuko clearly appreciated it, even unconsciously. He moved his hand to loosely grip hers, and nuzzled into the top of Aang’s head. It was honestly rather cute.

Suki waited a moment before she woke Sokka up. He had been stressed since they had reunited. He had probably been stressed since before then too. If he woke up without her next to him, he would freak out, which would wake Zuko up, and according to the things the other had told her, waking Zuko up before he was ready was a bad idea. Sokka mumbled sleepily a few times before quieting and looking up when Suki shushed him.

She gathered her blankets and pillow, motioning for Sokka to do the same. They both walked over to the group in the corner. Sokka paused, went back to their packs, and returned with an extra blanket. He put the blanket over Zuko while Suki lay down near Zuko’s head, just behind Toph. Zuko’s shivering, which Suki hadn’t previously noticed, stopped once the blanket was over his shoulders. Sokka mirrored her position a second later. He rested his head next to Zuko’s and stretched his arm over Aang t rest against Zuko’s waist, just above Toph’s hand. Suki rested her head next to his, her knees resting against Toph’s back and her hand on Zuko’s shoulder.

Suki woke to Sokka shaking her. Toph was shaking Aang awake. The four of them moved their things back to where they were before they joined Zuko. Suki could tell it was because Zuko was proud. He didn’t like to show weakness. He could get uncomfortable if he knew they others had hugged him during the night, even if he did benefit from it.

She didn’t go back to sleep, and less than an hour later, Zuko was kicking Aang awake for morning meditation. He was loose, like he had slept better than usual. The way he moved indicated he was confused by how well rested he was. He obviously had no idea that the others were comforting him during the night.

**5**

Katara woke up to Zuko grunting. She had woken up to something similar a few times before, all of them in the Western Air-Temple. Those times, she had been almost cruelly glad at the pain Zuko seemed to be in. Now, she was only filled with the urge to help him. It was a stark change, but the thought wasn’t as strange to her as she thought it would be, and it told her how ready she had been to accept him from the beginning.

She sat up. Zuko was in his regular spot, in the corner of the room. He had moved closer to the group since they moved to Ember Island. Though that might have just been because Katara had finally stopped glaring at him whenever he was in sight. Even she had been getting sick of it by the time Azula had attacked.

She saw the others also get up around her. They had clearly also woken up to something similar before, but unlike her, they had done something about it. Toph and Aang woke up on their own. Toph’s movement woke Suki, and the warrior then shook Sokka awake.

They move their blankets and pillows closer to Zuko. Toph put hers down at his front and curled into his stomach. Zuko hands automatically moved to hug her. Sokka and Suki put their things down behind him and moved into some kind of triple-spoon. Zuko’s arms were loosely around Toph, Suki’s arms were around Zuko and Toph, and Sokka’s arms were around Suki and Zuko.

Aang put his blankets next to Toph and Zuko’s legs before leaving. When he came back, he was holding a couple of extra blankets. He put the blankets over Zuko and the rest of the group, who mumbled appreciatively. Zuko had stopped groaning, but he was still whimpering and twitching. The others lay still around him, Aang was clutching at Zuko and Suki’s feet. They were clearly out of things to help him with.

Katara hesitated for a moment, then picked up her things and joined them. She curled around Toph, her legs pressing into the small of Aang’s back. Aang shifted until he was comfortable, and the entire group relaxed. Zuko was still whimpering. Katara heard him say something disturbingly along the lines of ‘please don’t hurt me, Father’ a couple of times before moving to open her water-skin and pressing her hands against his head.

The water moved with her and glowed once it came into contact with Zuko’s skin. She was trying to do something similar to what she had done with Jet, mixed with what she had done while Aang was recovering from Azula’s attack. Hopefully, she could use her healing on his mind, and ease whatever pain he felt there, even if nothing was actually hurt.

After a few moments, Zuko relaxed and fell silent. A whisper from Toph told her Zuko’s heart was normal again.

Katara woke up again when Sokka picked her up. She looked around to see the others moving they’re things back to their original places. Based on the small amount of light coming through the window, the sun would rise soon. It was obvious the others had done this before; most likely when Zuko still didn’t have a secure position on the team. They would probably continue to leave just before Zuko woke up, unless he woke in the middle of the night, which was highly unlikely considering it was _Zuko_ they were talking about.

Zuko woke up about half an hour later. He stretched before kicking Aang awake. Aang bounced up and followed the former prince out like he hadn’t just spent half the night cuddling his legs. Katara looked up, catching Sokka’s eyes. Her brother smiled at her and she returned it.

**+1**

Zuko dreamed of the Fire-Lord. Of his father.

He was seven, and he had failed an exercise. Father was watching. The exercise was simple; Azula had perfected it weeks ago. The tutor gripped his arm and _burned_. Father didn’t stop him.

He was ten, and no one was telling him where Mum went. Azula knew, Azula always knew. She refused to tell him. Father stood in front of him. He told Zuko to stop asking or he would join her. Zuko wanted to see his mother, but had a feeling that wasn’t what Father had meant.

He was thirteen, and he kneeled in front of Father. He deserved to be punished for his disrespect, but surely this was going too far. Father gripped his face in one hand and his hair in the other. Zuko knew what would happen next.

He was sixteen, and Azula was trying to bring him home as a prisoner. He hated how unsurprised he was by it.

He was sixteen, and uncle was trapped in crystals. Azula was on his left. Katara was on his right. Zuko was about to make the worst decision of his entire life.

He was sixteen, and lightning was coming for his chest. The eclipse wasn’t meant to end so soon. He barely managed to move his hands into position when the lightning struck.

He was sixteen, and lighting headed for Katara. Azula had broken the rules. She’d thrown away her thrown. He felt the shocks through his body as he hit the ground. Katara screamed. He thinks he might have screamed with her.

He woke up, covering his mouth to stifle the oncoming sobs. It took a moment to register that he was laying on a bed. It was softer than anything Zuko remembered, but not uncomfortable. There were bandages wrapped around his aching chest.

Someone wrapped a hand around his waist and he tensed before relaxing when cold water touched his chest, easing the ache. The room reached just the right temperature, a nice, warm breeze blowing from somewhere. He curled into the blankets and pillows that had somehow appeared around him. He didn’t recognise the bed, or the people around him, but he knew he was safe.

He was just about to fall back asleep when someone spoke.

“Do you think he’ll be okay?”

“His body is healing well. Whether or not the lightning affected his brain, we won’t know until he properly wakes up. It probably won’t be permanent, though. If there are any problems, my healing will fix it.”

He lifted his head to see a girl and a boy in blue kneeling above him. Someone’s arm was wrapped around his waist. A little girl in green was curled into his side, and a boy in yellow was hugging his legs. They all looked at him when he moved.

The girl in blue smiled, moving the soft glow to his head. “It’s alright. We won. You can sleep.” Zuko relaxed and moved his head closer to her. He wasn’t quite sure what they’d won, but he could tell it was a good thing. The girl shifted so his head was in her lap. The water was cool, and dulled the pain, clearing his head slightly. The boy in yellow, Aang, Zuko suddenly remembered, hugged his legs tighter.

“I’m sorry, Zuko. I wasn’t strong enough to finish it.” Zuko didn’t know what he couldn’t finish, but Aang was clearly upset about it. He moved his arm from –it was Suki’s- grip to rub Aang’s head. The girl at his side, Toph, snorted.

“He’s totally out of it. He has no idea what any of us are saying right now.” Zuko did know what they were saying, slightly. He knew who they were, and he knew he was happy they were there. He didn’t care about what the words meant. He moved his arm out from under him to wrap around her, pulling her closer to him. “See? He’s just responding to our voices.”

Someone, Sokka, shifted above him.

“That’s fine with me. Free cuddles from Zuko” Zuko tilted so his body was closer to Sokka, who responded by wrapping both him and Suki in a hug. Suki giggled and he rubbed the back of his head into her neck.

He took a deep breath, mumbling a soft “love you guys.” He relaxed completely when they repeated his words. He fell asleep to the others curled tighter around him. Distantly, he had a feeling they’d done this before. He’d have to ask when he woke up next.


End file.
